Yul Edochie under fire for bringing family issues to public

Nollywood actor, Yul Edochie, has faced intense public backlash for bringing his marital issues on social media.

This was after he created a stir online yesterday with an Instagram post that accused his estranged first wife, May Yul-Edochie, of doing breast enlargement and tummy tuck without his consent.

The couples, who have been married for 18 years now, are on the verge of divorce after Yul announced his engagement with Judi Austin. Yul now has two kids with Austin, and reports says a traditional marriage right has been carried out to bid their union.

Yul Edochie’s marital problems has been a trending subject on social media ever since, with the actor heavily criticised for abandoning his first love and wife.

This Thursday morning, the popular actor, for the first time in months, made a public post about his son with May, Kambilichukwu Edochie, who died at 16 in April last year.

In the post, he wished him a happy 17th birthday, stating that he had seen the boy in his dream.

“And I saw you once in my dream. You looked much taller and more handsome. And bigger. You were glowing. Seems you’re now playing basketball over there and left football. You looked very happy. Obviously, life over there is quite different from here,” he said.

His death devastated the family, especially May, who described 2023 as her worst year ever, in contrast to Yul, who rather termed the just-ended year his “best year so far”.

Yul Edochie reignited existing tensions with his first wife, May, in a series Instagram post on Tuesday, January 2nd, 2023, alleging her refusal to return the bride price he paid upon their marriage. He however deleted the post hours later.

In the post, the renowned Actor also promised not to talk about his marital issues publicly again after blasting his wife, May.

The couple’s marital woes became a public issue since Yul decided to marry a second wife, Judi Austin.

Austin, an actress and brand influencer, already has a child with Yul although they are not legally wedded due to his existing union with May.

Yul’s Instagram post yesterday, with comments disabled, reignited speculations surrounding the ongoing marital strife.

“You have filed for divorce,” Edochie wrote, directly addressing May, “yet you refused to drop my name.”

He continued: “Return the bride price I paid, you & your family refused. I have asked for the return of the bride price a couple of times, you people vehemently refused. I don’t understand why.”

He also revealed that his estranged wife, May, did breast enlargement surgery and tummy tuck without his consent.

He ended the post abruptly, stating, “For the sake of my children I’ll say no more. There’s so much to be said but I’ll stop here for now. Bcos men don’t talk, doesn’t mean we should keep quiet and d!e. Their plan is to kill me but God will not let them. I will not let them. Enough!”

Edochie’s claim of a denied bride price refund introduces a new element to their public separation, which began in April 2022 with his announcement of marrying Judy Austin.

May, who is a Catholic, has refused to be part of a polygamy and had filed for a divorce, arguing that it is against her religious beliefs.

Since then, the couple has navigated a tumultuous public landscape, engaging in social media exchanges and facing intense media scrutiny.

On December 23, 2023, May Yul-Edochie explained that polygamy is not what she sued when she married Yul 18 years ago.

“The fact remains that anyone can choose to practice POLYGAMY, but can’t be impelled to accept what was never bargained for,” she wrote.

“To reaffirm my stance, I will not be CAJOLED into accepting polygamy, which goes against my beliefs, faith, and values. I will not be NUMBERED in a home that we started building with love, faith, tears, hopes, and prayers in a CATHOLIC marriage of 18 years following a long term premarital relationship.”

The concept of bride price reimbursement, which her husband is now capitalizing on, carries cultural and legal complexities within the Nigerian society.

While traditionally the family of a woman who initiates divorce returns the received bride price, contemporary legal frameworks recognize its complexities and lack universally applicable rulings.

Edochie’s public claim, without further details or legal proceedings, adds a layer of ambiguity to the already multifaceted situation.

May Yul-Edochie has yet to publicly respond to her estranged husband’s latest statement.

Their legal team, previously involved in handling divorce proceedings, remains silent on the matter.

Aside from the marital problems, the family endured an episode of grief last year when they lost their first son, 16-year-old Kambilichukwu Edochie, who died in April.

May Yul-Edochie had the tragic incident in mind when she described the year 2023 as her worst year in a recent social media outing.

This was in sharp contrast to Yul, who, in a social media post last week, said 2023 was his “best year so far”.

While Yul Edochie’s recent post, which was deleted hours later, garnered significant online attention and speculation, the validity of his claims and their potential legal implications remain unclear.

Meanwhile, some Nollywood celebrities have been taking sides in the Edochie marital problem, among them Actor Benson Okonkwo and Veteran Actress Rita Edochie, wife of Yul’s uncle, Tony Edochie.

She has made a series of social media posts addressing the marital crisis, while siding with May Yul-Edochie whom she called “beloved daughter”.

Talking about the issue of bride price refund which Yul Edochie demanded, she said it is against the Igbo tradition for a woman to return bride price herself.

“A woman has no right to return the bride price of a man rather it is the man who moves to the woman’s hometown with his kinsmen to ask for the return of the bride price, same way he went to pay initially,” Mrs Rita Edochie wrote.

On the other hand, Benson Okonkwo showered blessings on May Edochie, stating: “You shall be victorious over every challenge. No evil shall befall you and your household. Amongst the great men and women in this world you shall never be found missing, because surely God will perfect all that concerns you.”

Marital problems of Yul and Edochie remain an issue of concern as it continues to receive much public attention.

Washira Helene Contributed to this report

Mimi Mefo Info